Chief Justice Lahore High Court Questions the Existence of NCCIA

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum questioned the origins of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and inquired about the agency's leadership structure during a hearing on a contempt of court petition. The petitioner, Muhammad Ismail, had filed a complaint over alleged non-compliance with a 2024 court order requiring authorities to make a decision on his application within 30 days.

FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar testified that the application was filed in 2024 and the NCCIA was subsequently formed as an independent agency. He explained that the current matter concerned the NCCIA specifically. "Please inform me the date when the NCCIA came into existence," the chief justice asked. Dr Anwar noted that the agency had computerized its records and was working on processing pending applications.

He added that the NCCIA was initially established without its own building. The chief justice emphasized that the complainant should not be pressured into abandoning the petition in court. Dr Anwar reassured the court that this would not occur and that the court's orders would be carried out.